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DUBAI ISMAILI CENTER
On 26th March 2008, His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan officially
opened the Ismaili Centre Dubai (ICD) in the presence of His
Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum and His Highness Sheikh
Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, senior members of the ruling families
of the United Arab Emirates. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan
accompanied at the ceremony by Princess Zahra and Prince Rahim. The
Ismaili Centre Dubai is comparable in scope and architectural
standing to Ismaili centres in London, Vancouver and Lisbon. It is
built on land that was donated by the Ruler of Dubai, His Highness
Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, on the occasion of Mawlana
Hazar Imam's Silver Jubilee in 1982.
SPEECH BY H. H. PRINCE KARIM AGA KHAN
At the Inauguration of The Ismaili Centre Dubai
Wednesday, 26 March 2008
Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim
Your Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum
Your Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan
Honourable Ministers
Your Excellencies
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
As-Salaam-o-Alaikum,
I am deeply pleased that all of you have been able to join us
for the inauguration of this elegant new Ismaili Centre. Your
presence is itself a symbol of the wonderful diversity that
characterizes Dubai. Your interest and support gives added meaning
to our celebration � as we honour today a great architectural
accomplishment, the exciting institutional activities for which it
will provide a home, and the remarkable people who have made all of
this possible.
Those extraordinary people include, of course, His Highness Sheikh
Mohammad bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, who has so generously given the
land for this Centre. Let me express once again, on behalf of the
Ismaili community, our profound appreciation to His Highness and
his family. I am particularly pleased that you, Your Highness
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum have again honoured us with your
presence today. You were so gracious as to witness the ceremony at
which the foundation stone of this Centre was laid a little over
four years ago.
And let me also acknowledge, with deepest gratitude, the many other
donors to this project, in Dubai and in so many other places, as
well as those who designed and constructed and decorated this
building and its adjacent park. Your dedication and generosity have
been at the very heart of the long planning and building process
which culminates so happily at this moment.
We gather today at a special place � and at a special time.
We welcome our new Ismaili Centre in a setting which has itself
become a great centre � a hub of cosmopolitan activity, a truly
global crossroads. We hear a great deal these days about the words
�convergence� and �connectivity.� In my judgment, Dubai is a place
where those words truly come to life. Dubai has become the very
embodiment of the global village, placing itself at the forefront
of an enormous surge toward global convergence.
The Dubai ethic is one that honours a generous exchange of
knowledge and ideas, that welcomes the opportunity to learn from
others, that celebrates not only our historic identities but also
our open horizons.
This ethic of exploration and interconnectedness is one that is
deeply shared by the Ismaili community. It is an ethic, in fact,
that is firmly rooted in our faith � a value system which grows
from deeply spiritual roots.
It understands that human diversity is itself a gift of Allah �
that pluralism is not a threat but a blessing. It sees the desire
to explore and connect as a way to learn and grow � not to dilute
our identities but to enrich our self-knowledge. This ethic
emanates ultimately from a relationship to the Divine, which
inspires a deep sense of personal humility � and a relationship to
humankind that is infused with a spirit of generous service and
mutual respect.
This new Centre is itself a profoundly spiritual place. Its
defining symbolism is inspired by the Fatimid tradition �
stretching back over 1000 years and widely shared with sister
traditions throughout the Islamic world � from Baghdad to Bokhara.
As its architects have so effectively realized, this building
exists fundamentally as a place for peaceful contemplation, but one
that is set in a social context. It is not a place to hide from the
world, but rather a place, which inspires us to engage our worldly
work as a direct extension of our faith. Sheikh Mohammad has
provided a powerful example of how the ethics of our Islamic faith
can be taken into the world, through his affirmation of a pillar of
Islamic values, the spirit of generosity toward others. As he wrote
recently, and I quote him, �I always ask: How can I help? What can
I do for people? How can I improve people�s lives? That�s part of
my value system. The Dubai narrative is all about changing people�s
lives for the better��
In that spirit, His Highness, in describing Dubai has replaced the
word �Capitalist� with the word �Catalyst� � in that it inspires
those who live and work here to greater levels of personal
accomplishment. His philosophy, to paraphrase John Kennedy, calls
us to ask �not what one can achieve for oneself, but what one can
help others achieve.� And this, too, is an expression which grows
out of deeply rooted Islamic principles.
In our Development Network we have used a slightly different
vocabulary to describe a very similar commitment. We like to talk
about building what we call an �enabling environment,� one that can
provide what we have called �the spark� which can �ignite� a spirit
of individual determination.
Our Development Network pursues that objective in many places in
many ways � one apt example is the early childhood education
programme here at the Ismaili Centre � a long-term investment in
moulding human character at the most formative time of its life.
Of course, we must be realistic about the challenges we face. This
is a region, after all, which Sheikh Mohammad has described as a
�tough neighborhood� � the locus in recent years of tragic clashes
and cleavages, including many divisions within Islam itself. And
yet at the same time, this is a region of powerful potential and
promise. That promise will be increasingly fulfilled as the Islamic
world learns to embrace ever more effectively the spirit of
fundamental cohesion expressed so well in the Amman Declaration of
2005, along with its affirmation that the variety of expressions
within Islam is not a curse but �a mercy.� That spirit of comity,
in turn, can become a great Islamic contribution to the future of
this region � and to the future of our world.
Just as Dubai is indeed a very special place, this is also a very
special time. For me this is particularly true because this new
beginning coincides with my 50th year as Imam of the Shia Ismaili
Muslims � a Golden Jubilee moment which connects the past to the
future for me and in a special way. And that is what this
celebration today is all about � at a time of demanding challenge,
we look for strength and inspiration from our spiritual and
cultural roots, my thanks again to all of you for sharing in this
special moment.
Shaped BY:
ASIF ALI ADINA BAIG
Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
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